Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?!-Chapter 42: Fire [1]

Doctor Mu fingers moved with calm precision, wrapping a fresh strip of gauze over the girl’s wrist as he spoke in a dry, matter-of-fact tone.

"Young lady. If you’re going to chatter, do it outside. I need silence while I work."

Fang Jingyi froze mid-step, one hand halfway raised as if she had been about to point at something.

Her lips parted to reply but then she stopped.

A heartbeat passed.

And then she lowered her hand.

"...Understood, Doctor Mu," she said quietly, nodding once.

She didn’t say another word.

Fang Yuan blinked in surprise. He turned to glance at her, Fang Jingyi, whose mouth usually ran faster than most sword strikes.... now standing perfectly still, like a scolded child.

Fang Yuan leaned slightly closer to the old physician, voice hushed with honest admiration.

"Doctor Mu," he whispered, "...you’re amazing."

The old man merely grunted, focused on adjusting a splint. "Hmph. About time someone noticed."

Fang Yuan wisely kept the rest of his awe internal, lips twitching as he suppressed a laugh.

Not even high-level cultivators could tame Fang Jingyi but a mortal doctor?

Apparently, all it took was one stern sentence and a lifetime of earned respect.

After all, Doctor Mu wasn’t just anyone.

Years ago, when Fang Jingyi’s father, his grandfather, lay dying of a rare illness, it had been this same quiet old man who had reversed the impossible with a handmade tonic and a week of sleepless care.

Since then, their family owed him more than gratitude.

And clearly, even Fang Jingyi hadn’t forgotten.

She stood back respectfully, not another peep escaping her lips.

Fang Yuan gave the unconscious girl one last glance, then turned to leave.

"I need to return to my office," he said casually over his shoulder.

Jingyi’s lips curled upward almost instantly. "Alright, alright. Work hard, dear husband. Our baby’s future depends on it~"

Fang Yuan nearly tripped.

He didn’t turn back, just waved a hand stiffly and muttered under his breath, "I’m not your husband... and there is no baby... stop spreading lies."

But Jingyi was already giggling behind him, clearly pleased with herself.

Shaking his head, Fang Yuan picked up his pace, robes swishing as he fled the scene with as much dignity as he could muster.

The quiet hush of the pavilion returned as he stepped back into the main estate.

Evening had deepened further, and the halls were bathed in soft lantern light.

He made his way to his office, the scent of ink and old parchment greeting him like an old companion.

Stacks of fresh parchment waited neatly by his desk.... all requiring his attention.

With a sigh, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Meanwhile, in the quiet of the treatment room, time passed gently.

Doctor Mu, after a final check of the patient’s pulse and a firm reminder not to move her for the next few hours, packed his tools.

His joints cracked softly as he straightened.

Fang Lian bowed deeply to him. "Thank you, Master."

He gave her a rare, approving nod. "You did well today. Walk with me."

She smiled faintly and followed without hesitation, offering a polite wave behind her. "Take care, Miss Jingyi."

Fang Jingyi, seated near the corner with one leg tucked beneath her, waved lazily in return. "Bye-bye, Lian’er. Bye-bye, Uncle Mu~"

Doctor Mu didn’t even glance back, only grunted in acknowledgment.

Once the door slid shut behind them, the room was quiet again.

Fang Jingyi slowly stood and stretched, arms arching overhead.

Then she turned her gaze toward the still-unconscious girl on the bed.

She walked over with casual grace, her feet barely making a sound against the polished floor.

Her expression, for once, was unreadable.

She stood there for a while, arms folded, head tilted slightly as if studying a rare painting rather than a wounded stranger.

"...So you’re the one who made Little Yuan carry a woman into the house," she murmured softly.

The girl didn’t stir.

Her breathing had steadied, but her face remained pale, lips faintly parted in exhausted sleep.

Jingyi crouched beside the bed, propping her chin on one hand.

"You don’t look like much. No offense," she said.

She tilted her head again, this time with a fainter smile.

"But still... What is it about you, I wonder?"

Her voice was quieter now, not teasing, just curious.

"There’s something there. Something familiar about you. I can feel it." She reached out but stopped just short of touching the girl’s hand.

Then, with a breath, she stood up again, brushing invisible dust from her sleeves.

"...Guess I’ll figure you out sooner or later," she muttered with a grin.

And with that, she turned, strolling to the window where the moonlight spilled softly across the floor, bathing the room in silver hues.

Fang Jingyi leaned lazily against the window frame, chin resting in her palm as she gazed out at the peaceful night.

Her eyes drifted casually to a distant glow at the edge of the estate grounds.

Flickering orange light danced against the rooftops.

"Hmm?" she blinked. "Is that... firelight?"

The corners of her lips curled upward.

"Eh? A festival? This late? And they didn’t invite me? How rude~"

She sat on the window ledge, basking in the warmth of moonlight and imagined celebration, eyes dreamy.

That is, until—

"RUN, YOU SLOWPOKE! THE FIRE’S SPREADING!"

"IF ANOTHER BUILDING BURNS DOWN, THE FAMILY HEAD’S GOING TO KILL US!"

A sudden burst of shrieking shattered the stillness.

Fang Jingyi sat upright.

From the direction of the flickering orange glow, she spotted a pair of frantic silhouettes, two servants in scorched robes, each staggering under the weight of sloshing water buckets.

One was still patting out smoke from the hem of his robe as he ran.

Their pace was less heroic and more chaotic, water spilling with every panicked step as they dashed toward the flames.

"WHY ARE THE BUCKETS THIS HEAVY?!"

"HEAVY? SHUT UP! THE PUNISHMENT WILL BE HEAVIER!"

Jingyi blinked, her dreamy smile freezing in place.

"...Wait a second," she muttered.

She squinted harder.

"...Aren’t those servants from our house?"

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